Hi Guys,
Keep reading the various tire threads. Currently have a 98 4runner with Racerunner coils upfront and Old Man Emu springs and shocks in rear, think its set about 2" to 2.5". Have Tundra 17" rims and 265/70-17 BFG All Terrains. Like BFG ATs have used them on various rigs for 20 years. These have plugs in them and I am not sure of age but show some dry rot, makes me think of replacing them this summer since I plan to start hitting trails.

First I was wanting 285s to bump up a size, looks like I have plenty of room. But I was told 285s will run the upper control arm and Id need wheel spaces, or new upper control arms? Also, I do have 4:30 gears and 5 speed, but a friend said even the jump to 285s will make it feel more like a dog...so I may stick to 265/70s, or is there another option that is same height but a little wider to fill in the fenders? But if so, will it rub on wheel lock??

Next, I like a variety of ATs out there....part of me wants to do the BFG Rugged Terrains as they look aggressive but mild as well for better ride on highway which as much as I hate it that is most of my driving on the freeway....but in that size they only come in P rated, which in Cali most wheeling is rocks, and after reading I do not feel comfortable lowering the air pressure and rock climbing in Big Bear on P rated tires. Why dont they have them in C or D range in that size??

General Grabber ATs, Hankook ATMs, Coopers, generic brands worth a shot? Id have to see what they had in this size, and if they were only P rated, or did they have C rated or D rated, Im not thinking I really need E. But seems most of the brand name ATs in this size are P rated or E rated.

I could go with BFG ATs again, but sort of feel like trying something new. The Duratracs never caught my attention but I know tons of folks love their look, and then I read they are not great in winter driving and only 2 ply sidewall controversy, and they get noisy as they accumulate miles...

Mild ATs like Coopers or Toyo OC....or Nitto ATs but Ive read those are weak and not solid off roading tires....Dick Cepek FC-IIs I have on my Jeep TJ and like them but they are pricey and only in E, and probably pretty heavy...

Tire shopping can be confusing! :-)

Any input on tires I am all ears....sizes to consider, brands and models...more I read the more my head spins!

Thanks

 

i did just find Cooper S/T in 275/70-17 with C range....odd ball tire and size but might do the trick, little taller and little wider but may not rub.

Lots of reviews from Down Under on this tire...not much from USA...wondering what finding a set will cost ya if they are that odd. $200 each I have seen at Sears and a random online dealer.

 

It looks like I need to make the move to a 17" wheel, I've been looking for a tire sized somewhere between the 265/75R16s I have now and the 285/75R16s. The 275/70R17 splits the difference right down the middle.

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference

265/70-16 7.3in 15.3in 30.6in 96.2in 659 0.0%
275/70-16 7.6in 15.6in 31.2in 97.9in 647 0.0%
265/75-16 7.8in 15.8in 31.6in 99.4in 637 0.0%
275/70-17 7.6in 16.1in 32.2in 101.0in 627 1.6%
285/75-16 8.4in 16.4in 32.8in 103.1in 614 0.0%

The question is, did you get them? I have heard great things about Cooper tires. I see the BFG A/T KO's are available in that size too.

 

Not yet, just starting to look now. Cooper S/T comes in the size and C range (I dont think any 4runner or Tacoma wants an E range), BFG AT, possible that Falken Wildpeak comes in that size too looking at their website it is listed but I cant find any for sale, and I am still looking. Worst case Coopers are $200 in that size, not so bad, or can go with tried and true BFG ATs.

Im hoping I can get these on without needing wheel spacers and give myself a tad more height and width for wheeling and filling in the wheelwells.

Was just hoping to find a $175 type tire haha..wishful thinking....

Mickey Thomson STZ (E range)
Cooper AT3 (C range)

 

Sorry for repeat message

 

I am quite certain the 275/70R17 All Terrains will fit without any rubbing on the UCA. I have read from a few people that even 285/75R16 BFG ATs are fine (but close) to the UCA but do not rub. Mud Terrains won't work though.

I have 63,000 miles on my BFG ATs and I've been very pleased with them. It will be difficult for me to run anything else with confidence. I'm not sure how much the load range really matters--according to BFG's website there is only a 2.4 pound difference between the load range D 265/70R16 and the larger load range E 265/75R16 tire (47.2 lbs vs 49.6 lbs).

 

yea ive had BFG ATs on K5, TJ, XJ, and now my 4runner. No issues great tire...just was thinking Id try something new that might be a little cheaper...but if I cant find it I might go with BFG again. Wish they had the Rugged Terrains in that size

Wow BFG site says the 265/70-17 no longer available in C like I have now....Just E range, with a 285 available in D...

A tire shop on phone said they do have Falken Wildpeak 275/70-17 in C range available $200 per tire...I see them all over the place these days, dont know how the reviews are though

 

Be sure to post up when you get your tires. I won't be pulling the trigger until this fall. I think your wheels & 275/70R17s would make a perfect combo, regardless of whether you get the BFGs or Coopers.

 

I will. Called a few places today, no one had the Cooper in the size I want, just the more mild AT3. So the one guy tried to sell me on Falken Wildpeaks. They look nice, not sure how they would be on rocks or in woods, and I sort of am smitten with the aggressive S/T cooper look but not going to be as gnarly as a mud tire which I love looks but am too old for mudders (unless I actually will get to wheel in mud!)

Tires, and looking at sliders and skids from Savage, those will be my pouring out cash to make the 4runner trail worthy this summer.

 

I would hold out for the tires you want.

 

Yea funny the guy was trying to seal the deal on the phone haha..I know a few off road shops and tire shops who will help me and give me a deal probably, I was just curious for ballpark pricing... and this guy was like come to shop and see the Wildpeaks, I was like dude I have on many trucks, and online, I want to do reviews Im looking to off road,I do not NEED tires I just want to be safe before I rock crawl and put some fresh rubber on. Hah...when I said i was going to shop around he was like "for other tires, for the same tires, come on down man please" haha....like Im going to call one darn place and make a purchase!

 

Looks like you can order the Cooper ST from Sears worst case...Im going to ask a Jeep/gun buddy who owns a tire shop what the chances are. Guy is great if he can get them he will match pricing. Sears wants $230 but the other listings from oneline dealers are $205.

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/...52Ft+114q.html

 

My local Sears shows the 275/70R17 BFG ATs (Load Range E) priced at $249 each and the same sized Cooper Discoverer STs (Load Range C) at $228, both before tax, mounting and balancing, etc, not a huge difference in my mind. I am sure I could be happy with either.

This website says the Cooper weighs 50 lbs, which is about 4 lbs less than the BFG.

 

I would read reviews on 10 ply for a 3rd Gen 4runner....might be a really stiff ride. Unless you mainly wheel yours, Id strongly consider a C or D load range tire. Might be worth it for ride quality

 

My buddy went from a load range D BFG AT to a load range E BFG AT in the 265/75R16 size and he couldn't tell a difference in sidewall stiffness. I have the load range D BFGs now and I do get complements on how well my truck rides. If you're going from a passenger car tire you will definitely notice a difference in stiffness but if you are already used to BFGs you probably won't notice the step from load range D to E.

Any updates on your search?

 

The Cooper S/T in 275/70-17 seemed backordered for 6 weeks nation wide. Im not sure if that means they are going out of production, I emailed Cooper USA over the weekend asking, no response yet. I love the looks of them and reviews, and like the idea of C range as that is what I have now on the Yota and D range on the Jeep. Maybe you are right E wont matter but Id prefer less stiff if I can find them.

I keep looking, I will be damned if most tires in that size outside of the Cooper and Falken Wildpeak, are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$......Coopers will be about $200 once they come again, Falken Wildpeaks are $200 or less....everyone else in 275 or 285 17r are freaking $250-$320 range.... I do not want to spend that much....

Another forum guys are telling me to just go 33, ie get the 285s because it will allow me to do more difficult trails. Thing is for now, I am trying to keep this simple as possible with as least cash out as possible. I am going to get sliders and skids from Savage soon, and getting cheaper tires would help offset the cost. Doing $200-300 extra on tires to me is not worth it, Ive already put all the fancy name brand everything on my Jeep and still cannot say its worth it, heck I just want to trail ride and wheel and bang these things up in the woods...if it were a newer vehicle and I had a family in it, Id go top dollar name brand everything.

So right now if I wanted to pull trigger Id have to get the BFG E range (which I forget but think are $250 or more each), or Falken Wildpeak C (uner $200) but they look too mild and highway for me. And it scares me lots of soccer moms with JKs have them here in LA, and even on newer JKs looks like those Wildpeaks wear out pretty darn fast.

If we went to 285s it opens up a whole new world, but again most are E range and most are outrageous pricing. And I do not want to do wheel spacers, and I do not undertand the upper control arm thing but was told aftermarket UCA would give more room, but Im sure thats a pretty penny in parts plus labor. If I can find someone with the Coopers in 275/70-17 I am going to be all over them hah...add Savage sliders and skids, maybe a Savage rear bumper, and time to find people who I can tag along trails in Cali with!

 

I really do not want a mud tire, used to love them growing up but I did have mud...I do more highway driving now, wish there were some mild mud tires or super aggresive ATs in better variety of sizes.

If they had Fun Country IIs in 275/70 in C or D I would do them again, work well on the Jeep.

 

I hate the price of tires too, although my BFGs have been on the truck since February of 2006, so I got seven years and 65,000 miles of enjoyment out of them with only one tire re-balance, no flats or problems otherwise. I am not nice to tires and I exercise the supercharger frequently, so that's a good tire life in my mind. That said, I'm on the same fence as you, the Cooper ST's look appealing and I look forward to hearing what you find out about them.

I am picking up my Sequoia wheels today. If I'm doing the math correctly on the Sequoia wheels vs my current 5-spoke alloys, the additional 1/2" of rim width on the Sequoias will put the wheel and tire 1/4" closer to the top of the A-arm than my current stock wheels. (My 5-spokes are 4-5/8" backspacing and 7" wide and the Sequoias are 4-7/8" backspacing and 7.5" wide). Since you already have these wheels installed, I would measure the distance between the tire and the upper A-arm and see how much room you have for additional tire width. I hate how my factory wheels are tucked into the wheelwells, so I plan to add some 1.25" Spidertrax spacers to bring the wheels out and in-line with the body/flare. It will also put more distance between the wheel/tire and the A-arm. I know you said you didn't want wheel spacers, so I would measure carefully before you select your tire size or you might be buying spacers to make them fit. Aftermarket UCA's are pricey and not necessary with spacers.

I need just a little more tire height and width in my wheelwells to make it look right and the 275/70 is exactly what I need.


Here is a photo of my truck with the stock wheels--notice how tucked-in the wheels/tires are? A 1.25" spacer with the Sequoia wheel's additional 1/4" of backspacing will move the wheel out exactly 1" from where it sits in this picture:


And here's how they sit with the 1.25" spacer (someone else's pic):


Just something to think about.

 

Your truck looks fantastic friend. Nice! Plus a Supercharger I am jealous. I drove V8 Chevy/GMC trucks since 16 until 30, nothing but 350s and 4 speed and 5 speeds, with one auto in the mix. I am used to way more guts. Im my 30s I got a Grand Cherokee High Output V8 that hauled ass, and then got into Jeep TJs which can wheel circles around full size rigs in tight trails and rocks, but they feel like slugs. I have 33s on an 05 Rubicon and regeared to 4.88 and still feels gutless to me ha. The 4runner is a 5 speed and previous owner said it had rare 4:30 (usually come in autos) with the rear locker. Its not horrific, but its not ballsy by any means. Id kill for a supercharger! hah

You got me thinking, maybe I should do the wheel spacers for reasons you mentioned. If so then should I just go with the 285s? What is your reasoning with wheel spacers for the 275s? Although I am itching, I called Sears today, none in stock but they put me on hold and called a Cooper warehouse which they said have them?! Wonder why no one else can get them for me right now and says 6 week backorder. I really want to try them, especially if I can get them for $200 like some of the online places list them. BUT I get your point, and I wouldnt mind the tires coming out a little more, although mine do seem to stick out further than yours. Not sure if I can post pics like you can but I will go try right now.

 

PS-I had BFG 33s on my K5 Chevy Blazer I got at 16, I wheeled the snot out of it, HARD...mud, trails, and I had a granny gear 4 speed i did tons of burnouts hah, and raced it on the street....I dont know how many miles I got but I smashed those tires on the street and in the woods and they did great. No issues even being immature and irresponsible. Later I had them on a Jeep TJ I bought used, they were so old dry rotted and all, I wheeled the snot out of them on rocks etc, no issues, sold the Jeep with them on. These BFGs on the yota have lots of treat, but also lots of plugs previous owner used this 4runner to drive to his desert house in Mexico and caught lots of nails I guess. Also they have cracks on sidewalls and in between treads, I am assuming they are very old....and read on another 4runner forum its not wise to use tires that show dry rot at all, especially airing down running rocks. Soo...I saw it as an excuse to get new treads and wanted to go a little bigger, looks like I have plenty of room for more meaty tires.